Teaching is my second career. Before teaching, I spent time as a research technician in a few different fields of biology. During college, I studied the cellular pathways that were initiated when Vicia faba plants (broad beans) experience environmental stress like drought, increased temperature, and lack of sunlight. In addition, I was able to spend a summer working at the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab in Gothic, CO. While there I was examining the potential explanations for why this specific species of geraniums was gynodioecious (they had some plants who produced flowers of only one gender and others who were hermaphrodites). We spent time looking at pollen counts and seed production for the different flower types. After graduating from Truman State University with a bachelor's degree in biology, I moved to Milwaukee, WI with my husband. I was hired as a research technician in Wauwatosa. I spent the next 10 years conducting research on identifying new platelet glycoprotein polymorphisms that could cause neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAIT). NAIT is a disease that affects fetuses and newborns, in which the platelet count is decreased (a state known as thrombocytopenia). Platelet antigens are inherited from both mother and father. NAIT is caused by antibodies specific for platelet antigens inherited from the father but which are absent in the mother.

While I loved the challenges of working in the laboratory, I missed working with children. I decided to combine my two passions and teach science to children. I attended Mt. Mary University in Milwaukee, WI for my teaching certification for Early Childhood, Middle Childhood, and Early Adolescence with minors in mathematics and science.

I love to read, watch sports (football, baseball, and college basketball), and spend time outdoors including camping and hiking. I am married and have three daughters - Hannah who was born in 2011, Isabelle who was born in 2016, and Matilda who was born in 2019.